Dear Parents, Girls and Boys,

As we prepare to send out your children’s end of term report and as we are in the midst of our 4^th annual 3-IN-1 Sports Festival, I would like to talk about “backbone, guts, determination and perseverance” – some of the traits that forge character in an individual.

Our children don’t just want our praise for doing something right, or scoring a goal in football, or achieving 80% for a test. They want us, as parents, to see deeper into their lives. They want (and need) their character to be admired more than their latest performance.

In her book “Boys should be Boys”, Meg Meeker talks about this building of character. She states that if we as parents only focus on outcomes, results and achievements, then we have failed our children.

Children certainly develop character through competition; however, a 55% earned honestly is worth more than an 80% gained through cheating. Meg goes on to say that a great performance that comes from a child’s dogged perseverance is often worth more than one that comes after years of expensive lessons. She mentions that the most important question a parent can ask is; “what will my child’s character be like when he/she is twenty five years old?” If that becomes the focus, we will have young men and woman who are honest, courageous, considerate and respectful, of both him/herself and others.

Sport is certainly a great way to build and observe character in children. How does a child (and parent) react when they have been “subbed”, red-carded, left out or put in a position on the field that they don’t want to play in? It is often, during these times that children learn that life is not always fair, and that life can be tough. The real lesson here will be what he/she takes out of this experience in terms of attitude. Will he/she be defeated or will he/she persevere and “bounce back?” It is moments like these that will forge and develop character.

We know that praise and positive encouragement reinforce good play; however, encouragement which builds confidence and promotes a sense of enjoyment will encourage our children to play longer, work harder, and hopefully, be more positive on their outlook on life. The reality is that defeat, poor performance and disappointment are all part of the learning experience of life. It is often in these difficult and challenging times that good character is forged. Let us, as parents and teachers, continuously strive to develop, enhance and grow our children’s character.

 I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Mr Tucker, our Director of Sports, for organising and co-ordinating our 3-IN-1 Festival. A big thank you is also extended to our Estate Manager, Mr Ihlenfeldt and his ground staff for preparing our playing surfaces. Many thanks to all volunteers, umpires, referees and staff members who worked tirelessly to make this event possible. Their commitment and hard work is noticed and is truly appreciated.

In terms of staffing, a big congratulations to Mr and Mrs Patel on the exciting news of their pregnancy. We wish them all the best during the next few months. The selection committee is well into the process of finding a suitable replacement as Head of the Preparatory. A big congratulations is extended to Miss Dansie who has been appointed as the next Visual Arts Teacher in the Preparatory to continue the good work already done by Mrs McIlrath. We are currently interviewing for a suitable replacement for a Grade 2 teacher to start at the beginning of our Michaelmas Term (Term 3). We also wish Mr Lay all the very best in his new ventures at St Benedict’s College.

May I wish all a most well deserved break and a Blessed Easter to our Christian families.

 – Mr Craig McIlrath –